Push-button switch.



No. 887,840. I I PATENTED-MAY 19, 1908 P. A. PAUL.

PUSH BUTTON SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED we. 15.1907.

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PETE R A. PAUL OF LEWISBURG, OHIO.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed August is, 1907. Serial No. 388,709.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PETER A. PAUL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lewisburg, in the county of Preble and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Push- Button Switch, of which thefollowing is a specification;

This invention has-reference to improvements in push-button switches, and its obinterposed a cam ject is to produce a push-button switch of either the wall type or the pear type wherein a bridging conductor is forced into contact with circuit terminals by a cam mechanism and the circuit is broken by the resiliency of the bridging conductor, whereby the latter is caused to break the circuit when relieved from the action of the cam mechanism.

The invention comprises a suitable casing adapted to the purposes for which the switch block is mounted upon a shaft or spindle so which member is provided as to be free to rotate thereon. The shaft or spindle carries a push-button and is also provided with helicalgrooves of long pitch engaging tongues in an impelling member, with suitable teeth or projections arranged to engage teeth or projections upon the contiguous face of the camblock with which the impelling member engages, while a spring u on the shaft or spindle holds the two b oc s in yielding engagement.

Now, when the push-button is forced in the proper direction the impelling member is caused to rotate by the longitudinal movement of the shaft, since the shaft is held against rotation and has longitudinal movement only. The rotative movement of the impelling member causes the latter to engage the cam block and, in turn rotate it so as to bring'it into engagement with the elastic members of the bridging conductor in such manner that these elastic members. are caused to recede one from the; other and ultimately come into engagement with the and this camcircuit terminals, thus; completing the circuit at thispioint.

The cam matically look at certain points in its rotative movement by itsv engagement with the elastic members of the bridging conductor, and when. the shaft or spindle is returned to its normal position by the action of the spring surrounding it, it will reverse.

the movement ofthe impelling or. actuating memberand bring the same into'a newoperative. relation to the cam "block. Under these conditions, when the push-button is a sin moved in the properdirection, the cam b ock is also moved to a position where the spring elements of the bridging conductor are permitted to move away from the circuit terminals and thus break'the circuit.

The invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which,'

Figure 1 is a longitudinal-section orthe improved push-buttonswitch when adaptedtte be inserted. in a wall; Fig. '2 is a cross section on the line x-x of Fig. 1, looking towardthe left of said figure; Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line yy of Fig. 1, lookingtoward the right of said figure; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a push-button switch of the pendent pear type, constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 a casing 1 of insulating material,

referably refractory material such as porce-' ain, and suitably shaped to receive the various parts constituting the improved pushbutton (if the present invention and adapted particularly for insertion in a wall or panel. To one end of the casing or block 1 there is secured a faceplate 2 by means of screws 3,

vand a centrally located passage' l extends through the faceplate and corres onding end of the block 1 to an interior cham er 5 within the block.

The chamber 5 is open at the sides and these openings are closed by removable insu lating plates 6, slidable in grooves 7 in the unbroken walls of the casing or block. The plates 6 may be of any suitable material but mica is preferred, since by the use of this material the interior of the fish-button, that is, the. parts. containedwvit 'n the chamber 5, may. be without removing the block'is-so shaped as to auto- I plates 6, wherebyit maybe ascertained what,

' if any, repairs are necessary, without first re- Iates 6...

At t e en of the casing 1 remote from the face-plate 2 there are insulated metal blocks 8 spaced wide apart, and from these blocks extend strips 9 terminating in contact points 10 constituting. the interior terminals of the push-button. The strips 9 lie against the unbroken wallsv of the casing and are opmovm t posed one to the other, being separated by a space a little less than the width of the chamtrical ener wpoints 10 of the'stri s 9. The arms 14, however, are'elastic an have a normal tendency to approach each other and to remain out of contact with the points 10, which latter are so located as to contact with the arms 14 about midway of the length" of said arms. The arms 14 extend nearly-to the other end of the chamber 5, and between them is located a cam block ,15 mounted upon a shaft .or spindle 16 extending centrally through the casing 1 and also through the passage 4 and carrymg at the end adjacent to the plate-2 a button 17 of suitable material whereb the shaft or s indle 16 may be moved longitudi- I section, but where it nally. ovement of the shaft 16 in a direction to project the button 17 out from the late 2 1s hmited by a washer or flange 18 ormed or secured on the end of the shaft 16 which projects be 0nd the rear-or back end of thecasing 1. he shaft 16 for the greater portion of its length may be circular in cross rojects through the late 13 this shaft is substantiall rectanguar, as indicated at19, and the ori ce through the plate 13 through which this shaft extends is similarly shaped, so that While the shaft may be freely moved longitudinally for the distance provided it cannot turn upon a longitudinal axis. 4 v

Since the late 13 constitutes part of the bridging con uctor, the orifice through which the portion 19 of the shaft 16 extends may be of insulating material, as indicated at 20, al-

' though since it is usual to makethe button 17 of insulating material and the casing 1 of porcelain, it is not absolutely necessary that this insulation 20be introd eed. If, however, the

cam block 15 is also ma of insulatin material, 'then no current can reach the s aft 16 thus there is no danger whatsoever of a The blocks 8 have longi-- these Wings 25 will ride up person using the push-button receiving a shock throughsfau-lty insulation of the button 17.

The cam block 15 is rotatable upon the ,shaft 16 and is shown as rectangular in outline, and has a greater diameter in, one direction thanin a direction at right angles thereto, while the corners of the block are rounded, as indicated. On one face of the block there is formed a hub 21 hearing against the corresponding end of'the casing 1, while the other face of the block is formed intotwepairsof teeth 22 and 23, the teeth of each pair bein diametrically opposed. The surface of ac tooth 22 .and 23. is inclined up to the shoulder of the tooth. Resting upon the face of the cam block 15 is an impelling member 24 having diametrically opposed wlngs 25 so disposed as to engage the shoulders of the airs of teeth 22 or 23, as the case may be, so t at when the impelling'member or block is given a rotary motion the cam member is constrained to move with it by th engagement of the wings 25 with the shoul ers of the teeth 22 or 23, but when the impelling member is rotated in a direction opposed to that just considered,

faces of the teeth and dro ofl the shouldered the inclined surends of the teeth on to 't e inclined surfaces' of the next air' of teeth.

The impe 'ng member 24 is mounted upon the shaft 16, but this shaft at this point is provided with opposed helical grooves 2626 in which engage tongues 27 on the block or impelling member 24. The grooves 26. are of long pitch, so that the extent of travel of the shaft 16, in a longitudinal direction will be sufficient to cause the rotation of the impelling member 24 through an arc of about ninety degrees.

- "urrounding the shaft 16 between the impelling member and a fixed flange 28 on the shaft is a helical spring 29 which is always under sufficient tension to maintainthe imelling member in constant engagement with the face of the cam block, and which is compressed by the movement of the shaft 16 in a y direction to cause the flange to approach the impelling member. The tendency of the spring 29 is to always maintain. the shaft in a positlon to project the button 17 to its fullest extent beyond the face of the plate 2, at

which point the flange 18 is in engagement longer sides,

constrained to rotate by the helical grooves continues the impelling member forces the cam block 15 in the same direction until the shorter sides, located upon the longer diameter of the block 15, are brought into engage- 'ment with the arms 14. In the meantlme 'these arms have been moved apart by the increasing diameter of the block 15 and are brought into firm engagement with the terminals 10. brought into engagement with the terminals before the movement of the block is completed and are therefore held in such en gagement under considerable stress, so that there is no danger of the accidental breaking of the circuit at this point under sudden shocks or jars.

Now the circult from the conductors 11' is completed through the blocks 8, strips 9, terminals 10, arms 14 and plate 13, the plate 13 and arms 14 constituting the bridging conductor. When the button 17 is released the spring 29 returns the shaft to its initialposition. In so doing the grooves 26 act in a contrary manner upon the tongues 27 and cause the reverse movement of the impelling member 24, thus causing the latter to ride over the inclined faces of theteeth and ultimately drop behind the shoulders of such teeth. The slight longitudinal movement of the im elling member 24 necessary to ride up the inc ined surfaces of theteeth is permitted bythe yielding of the spring 29, but the frictional engagement of the impelling member I with the block 15 is not sufficient to rotate the latter, against the looking action of-the arms 14 then engaging th shorter sides of the block 15 on its longer diameter.

When the-push-button is again mani ulated theblock 15 is turned through an arc of ninety but the impelling member 24 is I degrees,

In fact, these arms 14 are again bringing its longergil es or shorter thus permitting these arms to rec'ede from the contacts 10 because of their normal tendency to make this movement.

In-Fig. 4 the invention is shown applied to a push-button switch of the pear type, and in this case the interior mechanism of the ushbutton may be always visible throng the transparent insulating side plates 6. Otherwise, except in the shape of the casing, the arts are similar to those shown in the other figures. I claim r I 1 A push button switch comprising a longitudinally movable but non-rotatableshaft having helical grooves of long pitch, a cam block mounted on saidgshaft, an im pelling block also mounted on the shaft and engaged by the grooves thereof, said impelling block and cam block being provided with one-way engaging faces, a spring for. holding the impelling block in engagement with the cam block, circuit terminals, and means engaged by the cam blocks and movable thereby to close the circuit at the circuit terminals. 2. A push-button switch comprising a longitudinally movable but non-rotatable shaft having helical grooves of long pitch, a cam block mounted on said shaft and h .ving teeth on one face, an impelling block'also mounted on the shaft and engaged by the diameter in line with the arms 14,

that I claim the foregoing as 

